


Teasers for the New Year...

by Shortsandramblings



Series: Ramdom Shorts (...and Ramblings) [1]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-28
Updated: 2015-12-29
Packaged: 2018-05-10 01:38:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5564002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shortsandramblings/pseuds/Shortsandramblings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Small 'teaser-taster' scenes and prompts for future fics...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Note from Author

Hello fellow Ao3 readers,

 

As the year comes to a close, and a new year approaches, I have come to a small dilemma: being a full time student with a part time job in my final year of university I will (- _unfortunately_ -) most likely not get an excessive amount of time to write loads of lovely stories.

If I _do_ have time to write, I plan on focusing my energy on the several stories I already have started (really need to get a move on for some of them... sorry about the wait...)

On the other hand, I (very frustratingly) constantly have new ideas for fics (mainly Stansa stories, but also Jon/Sansa) and in the last few months I have written a ‘scenes’ for several new stories.

As I will be focusing on uni/work or finishing my current stories, I won’t have the time to develop them at the moment. So instead of forgetting about them or push them to the side, I decided to do ‘teasers’ for the future (6 months to a year from now).

To explain: like Trailers and teasers for films, I am basically going to ‘publish’ these scenes and story ideas as ‘teaser-tasters’ of these future fics, giving you guys not only a small preview to these stories, but to also give you a chance to comment, and tell me your thoughts on certain story ideas, and say which one(s) you like ... or not like.

Moreover, if someone is inspired by the subject-prompt and/or by what I have written, please feel free to write your take on it/ develop it further: I welcome it.

I hope readers won’t be put off by this, and a certain dialogue or at least inspiration can come from it.

 

To a new year filled with loads more wonderful stories,

 

Kind regards,

ShortsandRamblings  
 


	2. Story Teaser 1 - Dance with Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Working-Title** : Dance with me
> 
> **Relationship** : Sansa/ Stannis
> 
> **Plot** : Modern Setting. Strictly Come Dancing: Stannis Baratheon is paired with the professional dancer Sansa Stark.
> 
> Sansa thinking he doesn’t know anything about dancing (and hasn’t heard the best of things about the man), is not super happy about the choice. However, she is very surprised to find out during their first training session that he actually _does_ _know_ how to dance, he is just ( ** _really_** ) awkward around women. – As the weeks progress, they continue to amaze the public who is as surprised as her by how well Stannis Baratheon (the ‘Stiff Baratheon’) can dance, and she also gets to know the ‘man behind the armour’.

 

**\- : -**

**_A ‘Teaser Scene’ from Chapter 1_ **

 

As the first note was heard, he place his hand on her hip, barely touching her, before she felt him stiffen somewhat when she placed her own hand on his shoulder.

Sighing internally, Sansa repeated to herself for the hundredth time that it could have been worse: the older brother could have not gotten in a hunting accident and she would have danced with the whore-mongering Baratheon. Or, even worse, she could have been paired with _Joffrey Lannister_.

 

For this year of Strictly Come Dancing - having been in the final last year - she had been placed with one of the contestants deemed ‘ _less able_ ’. And lets not also overlook the fact that being one of the taller women professional dancers had also been a point in the decision making: not many women could even come to any of the Baratheon men’s chin.

 

 

Ellia Martell’s melodious voice started to sing and they were off. – Sansa’s internal fears tensing, ready for the oncoming dread.

_One- two- three_...

_One- two- three_...

_One- two- three_...

 

As they started to turn around the floor, Sansa nearly tripped in shock. – _WFT just happened?!: Stannis Baratheon knows how to dance_!

 

. . .

 

Ideas for the other couples during the Competition were:

Renly Baratheon (Professional Dancer) – Brienne Tarth

Margery Tyrell (Professional Dancer) – Joffrey Lannister

Loras Tyrell (Professional Dancer) - ?

Myrcella Lannister (Professional Dancer) – Trystane Martell (or opposite with Trytane being the P.D.)

Ygritte Spear (Professional Dancer) – Jon Snow (or Targaryen)

Danaerys Targaryen (Professional Dancer) – Khal Drogo

Petyr Baelish (Professional Dancer) – Lysa Arryn

Ellaria Sand (Professional Dancer) – Oberyn Martell (or opposite with Oberyn being the P.D.)

 


	3. Story Teaser 2 - The Wolf-Maiden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Working** **Title** : ??? [ _The Wolf-Maiden_ (?) or _A Direwolf’s Tale_ (?)]
> 
> **Relationship** : Sansa/ Stannis or Sansa/Jon
> 
> **Plot** : Somewhat inspired by the story of _Swan Lake_ and _The Little Mermaid_. Sansa is a direwolf that turns back to human form on the full moon. [Stannis or Jon] meets her as a direwolf whilst he is hunting; she saves his life, defending him when he is attacked by a bear.

 

\- : -

 

**_Prologue – The Legend of the Direwolf_ **

 

To most, a direwolf ( _Canis dirus_ ) got its name because it was the most fearful of the wolves, with _Canis dirus_ meaning ‘ _fearsome dog_ ’.

And how could they not: _dirus_ translates as ‘ _fearful, threatening_ ’. Even the word ‘ _dire’_ means:  1 presaging disaster or 2 extremely serious or urgent.

 

And yet I will be the first to affirm that the meaning and the words have been twisted.

 

 

Here is the true story behind the name:

 

Most know of the Children of the Forest. How they were the people of the Dawn Age, the very first, before kings and kingdoms, before castles or holdfasts, before cities. Before there were even any Men. Only the children of the forest dwelt in the lands we now call the Seven Kingdoms.

The children lived off the land, using stone implements, wearing bark leg-bindings and shirts of woven leaves, dwelling in caves, crannogs, and hidden tree villages. They were a people with a deep connection to the land. It was the children who carved the faces on the weirwoods to keep watch over the woods.

The children wielded obsidian weapons and bows in battle. Males and females hunted side by side. Legends say the children of the forest were also gifted with magic; having power over the beasts of the wood, the ability to wear an animal’s skin, the skill to create music so beautiful as to bring tears to the eyes of any who heard it, the green-sight ability.

 

Of course, eventually, Men did come from across the sea. They brought bronze, great leathern shields, the first horses, and their own gods; burning the great weirwoods as they came, leading to war between the two races. Death and destruction followed – on both sides – till a pact was made.

With the pact came peace and the Children of the Forest taught the worship of the [old gods](http://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Old_gods) to the First Men.

 

It was said that some time after the Pact was made, the Wood Dancer of the Children of the Forest even fell in love with one of the maidens of First Men that had settled in the North.

Unfortunately, not long after they professed their love for each other and to the two races, the Night from the Land of Always Winter came. The children of the forest joined with the First Men, to fight against the Others. Through the Old Gods, even the animals of the forests helped in keeping the Others at bay.

 

Unfortunately, their forces were not sufficient enough and both Men and Children were slowly pushed further and further south, as the snow and cold, and then the darkness and death covered more and more of the land, till the Night covered half of the North, and the Others reaching the weirwood forest where the Wood Dancer lived.

Like the rest of his race, the Wood Dancer fought against the monsters of the night. Stronger than most, his magic more powerful, he lead many attacks against the Others, even finding weapons that could defeat the monsters of the Night.

However the Others noticed his power and strength, and during one of their attacks fought him from several sides.

 

Battling three in one fight, the Wood Dancer did not see a fourth coming towards him from behind. Nevertheless, his human love did and cried out to him, trying to warn him of the danger. - Battle still going on around him, he did not hear her cries.

His human love, unlike him, had no magic, and, unlike the males of her kind, did not know how to fight. The situation dire, she did the only thing she thought she could : she stepped in front of the Other, blocking his blade from hitting her love with her own body.

Barely moments had passed, the Wood Dancer vanquished the three he was fighting, only to turn around to find his love dying a blade sticking from her middle.

In his rage, he swiftly killed the monster who had dared hurt his love.

 

He then rushed to his love and took her delicate body in his arms. As she lay dying, he knew if he waited too long she would become a wright – a servant of the Night. Refusing such a fate for a being so pure, yet refusing to kill her himself, he picked her up and rushed to the ancient weirwood with the face carved into it. He placed her underneath, her blood slowly spilling onto the roots and snow.

From there he could do nothing else but pray. - He prayed by singing with all his might until the Old Gods heard him.

Heard him they did.

The Gods heard of his love’s sacrifice and felt his sorrow, the Heart Tree started to cry, red tears weeping down the white bark, falling on the dying maiden. The tears blended with the blood spilling from her wound, the whole falling into the pool of black water.

The wound being too deep, the Old Gods could not save her in her human form. However, instead they made her a creature of the forest: a wolf.

Unlike the wolves that already existed she was larger, so her new form would continue to protect the Children of the Forest and fight on their behalf, especially in the direst of situations.

 

And so it was, with his lover’s help, and with the rest of men and Children, the Wood Dancer was able defeat the Others.

It is said this was the spot, underneath that Heart Tree, where ‘Winter Fell’ and the Direwolf was born.

 

 

. . .

 

 

_A last part that many have forgotten, or have never known, was that even though the Old Gods could not keep her in her human form, the Direwolf was able to turn back once in a moon cycle to her original self: when the moon was full, its light protecting her from the darkness._

_Even now direwolves still roam the land – mainly staying in the North – making sure it is still protected from the Night. And when the moon is at its fullest, they turn into Men, their skin as bone-white as the bark of the weirwood, their hair either a similar blood-red to that of the leaves or as black as the pool in front of the Heart Tree. Only their eyes call back to the creatures they nearly became; a pale blue or silver._

_It is only when a direwolf chooses his mate (animal or human) that he stays in one of the two forms._

 

 

 

**\- : -**

 

 

 

**_Chapter 1_** (- _only a small part_ )

 

 

Slowly moving her head out of the den, Sansa sniffed the crisp forest air and quirked her ears’, making sure the coast was clear.

She was of course making sure there was no danger, but her main interest was checking for her older brother or parents: neither Father or Mother, nor Robb would approve of where she was planning to go.

 

Father and mother did not like humans.

_‘Humans are dangerous’_.

Father would always go on and on about how only a very small amount of humans truly understood the creatures of the forest, their own history having transformed into stories for their children. And it was because of their ignorance that humans had become dangerous to the survival of the pack.

However Sansa refused to be sucked into her father’s pessimism. Her favourite time of each moon cycle was when she would turn _human_. For a whole night, she could walk on two legs, run, sing with the birds, dance with the smaller creatures, climb the trees...

... Well maybe _not_ climbing the trees, but Arya seemed fond of it.

 

The only real reason Father did not trust humans was because of his sister. Though it was rare, there were a few cases of a direwolf choosing his human form; the only case Sansa had heard about was her father’s sister, Lyanna. - Father rarely talked about her.

All he had really said was always being quite adventurous, she had gone south to the Isle of Faces where she met a human-male, they fell in love and she died because of it.

 

 


	4. Story Teaser 3 - Family, Duty, Honour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Working Title** : Family, Duty, Honour
> 
> **Relationship** : Sansa/Stannis
> 
> **Plot** : Modern Setting. - There are 8 main Mob Families of Westeros: the Baratheons, the Starks, the Lannisters, the Martells, the Tullys, the Arryns, the Greyjoys, and the Tyrells; one for each area of the Realm. When the Mob Boss’s wife of the Stormlands is found in bed with her cousin, war is declared between the Baratheons and the Lannisters, leading to other families also having to choose sides and form alliances.
> 
> \- There is no better and stronger alliance between two families than a union through _marriage_.

 

**\- : -**

 

**_A ‘Teaser’ from Chapter 1_ **

 

Weeks like this one were the reminders of the reality that her life was not normal, and how _far_ from _normal_ her family really was.

 

_Monday_ \- Jory Cassel, one of her father’s top men, came to the all girls boarding school and, with Vayon Poole, took Arya and her out with no explanation except that they _‘needed to come home_ ’.

 

_Tuesday_ – Arya and Sansa were back in Winterfell Manor, with their little brother Rickon.

 

_Wednesday_ – Still no news; which shouldn’t have been too surprising as they were women: women were rarely told much about the going-ons of the Family Business. But Mother’s very short visits to their wing, with such a pale complexion, and refusing to tell them _anything_ – not even to say where Bran was - did nothing to reassure Sansa.

 

_Thursday_ \- They still had no information on what was happening, and neither sister had seen either Robb or even their cousin Jon.

On the other hand, Mother had let them momentarily go into Bran’s room, to see their brother -But he was even worse than Mother. Skin as pale as the White Walkers from Nan’s tales, he did not say one word to them, or even move in his bed: he just stayed there lying with only his eyes shifting; following them as they had walked in.

 

_Friday_ – Still no news. Bran was still in his semi-catatonic state. Mother was still silently suffering.

 

Finally on Saturday, her mother came, face still pale – or maybe even more so - to get her; ‘ _just_ _Sansa’_.

As they walked down the corridor, and then down two flights of stairs, Mother would still not say anything and even avoided eye contact with her.

 

Finally, stomach in knots, heart beating faster, they arrived in front of Father’s study.

Mother knocked, a reply soon following from inside. – Clearly her Father had been expecting her.

 

At the summons, Sansa entered, forcing her face to try and show none of the apprehension she was feeling inside. Eyes adjusting to the darker room, she slowly scanned the room, first noticing Robb quickly followed by Jon, neither looking not too pleased – even looking at her _worriedly_. And then her graze met her Father’s: he looked like he had aged ten years since the time she had seen him not six weeks ago, his usual sombre appearance seeming to having shifted to a more ominous state.

 

The heavy silence continued to reign as she sank down into one of the large fauteuils, folding her hands in her lap, compressing them slightly between her thighs, to stop both hands and legs from shaking.

From behind his large weirwood desk, Father scrutinized her, his face wearing a strange expression.

She waited for him to start talking. - Sansa knew enough about their world, and about how things happened in their family that she knew that whatever he was going to say was not going to be good.

And then, finally, he did speak and Sansa got an explanation.

 

Apparently, last week, on break from their boys boarding school, Bran had gone to the Baratheon house to see the youngest child, Tommen. However, instead of meeting his friend inside, Bran had walked in on Cersei Baratheon – Robert Baratheon’s wife - with her cousin Jaime Lannister.

 

As Eddard Stark continued to explain the rest of the events, Sansa’s mind had started to buzz. Even though she did not know much about the Family Business, she knew what such an event would cause: _war_.

_War_ between the Lannisters and the Baratheon.

_War_ between the Families.

– No war between Families did not affect _all_ the Families.

 

The fact that it had been Bran who had found out about Cersei Lannister’s adultery most likely also put the Starks, or at least her younger brother, in jeopardy from the Lannisters.

 

At the end of the explanation, there was a small pause, before her Father awkwardly shifted in his seat:

“I met with Robert yesterday... We agreed that a tighter bond would be best between our families at to deal with the Lannister threat.”

His eyes boring into hers, he added for more clarification: “An option we finally decided on was to become family by _marriage_.”

 

Robb growled at the statement.

Sansa, for herself, felt like she was falling, making her grip the armrests so tightly, her knuckles started turning white.

But she did not feel the pain. Numbness was working its way through her body. If Father’s tale was to be believed, _all_ of Robert’s children were in fact _not_ his, which meant that the whole of the Baratheons consisted only of _men_ ; fully grown _men_. – The marriage would be between a Baratheon _man_ and a Stark _woman_ \- _her_.

Even though she already knew the answer, Sansa couldn’t help but ask: “Why me?”

With a small cough, Eddard Stark spelled out what they all knew: “You are the eldest, and we can’t give them the daughter of one of our soldiers. They would take it as an insult.”

 

At the reinforced answer, an image of the great big Robert Baratheon, stomach bulging, a glass of scotch in one hand, and a prostitute in the other, came to mind. Then came the image of Renly Baratheon with his ‘secret’ lover Loras Tyrell.

 

Her voice barely a whisper she asked the dreaded question: “Which one?”

There was the most haunting of pauses, Sansa feeling as if her whole life was flashing before her eyes before her father finally answered: _“Stannis Baratheon.”_

At the response, Sansa was reminded of the third Baratheon brother: the more silent one - the one that did not stand in the spot light, but would rather be directly on the ground.

Heart stopping for a moment, it then quickly sped up again: even if people did not talk about him as much as his brothers, Sansa had heard a few things about him. Or, to be more specific, she knew _two_ things about him: younger than Robert Baratheon but older than Renly, he was now his brother’s heir, and he had killed his first man by burning him alive, and had been given in consequence the nickname: ‘ _R’hllor_ ’.

 

She did not even know how old he was... Or even what he looked liked...

... or if he was as sexually depraved and drunk as his older brother?

... or if his _tastes_ were closer to that of his younger brother?

 

 

**. . .**

 

 

Later she had heard that Father had insisted on Stannis Baratheon, and not Robert, using Robert’s age and the fact that he had already been married as reasons.

 


	5. Story Teaser 4 - Intimate Conversations between Strangers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Working Title** : Intimate Conversations between Strangers
> 
> **Relationship** : Sansa/Stannis
> 
> **Plot** : Modern Setting. – Inspired by the French film _Intimate Strangers_ (French: _Confidences Trop Intimes_ ) – [Youtube link to trailer: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34YVqhsyDzA> ]. On her first appointment with a psychiatrist, Sansa accidentally walks through the wrong door and tells her personal troubles to a man (Stannis), who actually turns out to be a financial planner.

 

**\- : -**

 

**_‘Teaser’ scene from Chapter 2(?)_ **

 

 

Davos had the most bewildered expression at what Stannis had just clumsily confessed to him: "What do you mean: _she thought you were her psychiatrist_?... you made her believe you were a therapist?”

Stannis huffed in indignation: “No! Of course not! She mistook me for Dr Pylos.”

Davos frowned in further confusion: “Dr Pylos?”

“The psychiatrist across the hall. I am assuming she had come to see him and had gotten confused, especially since when she arrived I was saying goodbye to Mr Errol.”

“And you didn’t correct her?”

“It took me a while to realise: you know how my clients can be... unloading their personal lives to me. I first thought she wanted advice in relation to a possible divorce.”

 

At the explanation, Davos gave a small nod of understanding, before staying silent for a while. He looked at Stannis then stood up to look out the window, his friend following him with his eyes from the desk.

 

Finally he turned around and asked, somewhat awkwardly: “What was she like?”

Now it was Stannis turn to be confused: “What do you mean?”

Davos gave him a small annoyed looked as he huffed, arms flaying about: “...What... what did she _look_ _like_?... what did she _say_?”

Stannis though back to the scene, not understanding what the mysterious woman’s physical appearance had to do with anything: “She was... she was... well she was a woman... red hair...” – _gorgeous..._ – “... as she started to speak, she started crying... it... I felt... I couldn't help but... feel her distress...”

From the grimace on his face, Davos didn’t seem to like his reply: “What did you talk about?”

“Her relationship problems... she unloaded all these personal details about herself.”

After another pause, Davos gave an additional huff before stating: “If she does need someone to talk to, she needs _proper_ care, from a _professional_. You can’t go on making her believe-“

“-I didn’t make her believe anything! She just walked in as Mr Errol was walking out and did not let me get a word in edgewise!”

“I know but now you need to tell her she made a mistake: you are not Dr Pylos, you are _not_ a therapist. You need to call her and cancel.”

Stannis couldn’t help but frown at the idea of not seeing the mysterious woman again, in any case he realised something else: “How? – I dont even know her name, let alone her phone number. Are you going to suggest I look up every red-headed woman in the Kings Landing area, before Wedbesday, till I find the right one?”

Sighing, Davos turned back to his friend, and looked hims straight in the eyes: “When you see her, tell her you are a tax lawyer... sorry: _financial planner_...... not a _therapist_. Alright?”

“Of course! Who do you take me for?”

 

 


End file.
